Kakashi Reborn
by hatake34
Summary: "Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is not Omnipotent. Is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he able and willing? Then from whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him god?"
1. Chapter 1

**Finally, it's out. Man, you don't know how many times it took just to get it right or maybe acceptable. The ideas I had were crazy. So this is for all of the people who have read this chapter before and knew that I was going to rewrite this: I hope this is an improvement. Hope you enjoy it. For all who are hearing of Kakashi reborn for the first time: please read the note at the bottom of the page. oh and enjoy the story.**

**Chapter one**

"I don't understand."

"Naruto"

"Why didn't he come back?"

"Naruto"

"How could everyone else come back and he doesn't?"

"Naruto, please"

"Is this some kind of sick twisted joke!"

"Naruto"

"It's not fair."

"Please Naruto. Let's go"

"It's not fair!"

Naruto opened his eyes. They were no longer the sad and cold lifeless blue they were a second ago. They were now blood red with slits for pupils. They were filled with anger and rage, but a second later they were back to a sad and cold lifeless blue. This was due to the actions of one Haruno Sakura who wrapped her arms around her closest friend the minute she saw his eyes. She wouldn't let him become that monster again. Not after it had happened once already on that day.

The people of Konoha could only watch sadly as the village pariah turned hero wept for his fallen jounin sensei. Naruto's friends stood a little closer though none dared to go forward. Akimichi Chouji was the only other person who was crying. He believed himself responsible for Hatake Kakashi's death. Even though his friends and comrades tried to convince him that if it were not for Hatake Kakashi's sacrifice, Naruto may not have defeated Pain, Chouji still blamed himself.

The few who knew him and of his relationship with the man who was the only casualty of Pain's attack, were shocked. Contrary to popular belief, Maito Gai did not cry. He would mourn later but he knew he would not shed a single tear. Mingled in with his sadness was confusion as was the case with so many others. He asked himself the same question many others had asked. Why had the copy nin not woken up?

He folded his arms and looked up to the sky. '_Maybe it was divine intervention?_' he thought before a bitter chuckle escaped him.

Maito Gai would never know how correct he was.

…**Somewhere else a few hours before…**

"Thank you, son. That means a lot to me."

Hatake Sakumo poked at the fire with a stick before glancing at his son. Kakashi just gazed into the fire. "I wish I could have done more, though" Suddenly a green energy enveloped Kakashi. The old man sitting beside him chuckled.

"Well looks like you're going to get that chance Kakashi."

As suddenly as the energy came, it disappeared and someone spoke. "Could you have done anything, Kakashi? Could you?"

Once he heard this, Kakashi gave his father a look that clearly said he was confused. "Does this happen normally?"

Sakumo ignored Kakashi's words, choosing instead to look at something beyond Kakashi. "Well there's something, you don't see every day."

"What are you talking abou-" he asked while turning round.

He stopped dead when he saw the blonde-haired beauty approaching them. Her hair flowed all the the way down to her lower back and her face…well if Kakashi was sure about one thing this woman could make Jiraiya take on a vow of celibacy with one sentence. Maybe she already had.

Kakashi's naughty side caught note of her curves and the sway of her hips. The kimono that barely covered her creamy thighs was definitely not helping the situation.

The copy nin heard chuckling and turned to his father. The man had folded his arms over his chest and was shaking his head while looking at his son in a tsk manner. Kakashi glared back almost daring his father to say that he had not thought the same thing.

The woman spoke, "Could you Kakashi? If given the chance, what would you do?" She asked in a voice that matched her beauty. However Kakashi could detect a hint of authority, one he heard from people above his station.

For a moment the words didn't register to Kakashi and he was left staring at her. That was until his father saw fit to give him a light smack on the back of his head. After glaring briefly at his father, Kakashi's face took on a thoughtful expression. What would he do?

In the end, he eye-smiled at the woman and scratched the back of his head with his right hand.

"I guess such a question could only be answered in the heat of the moment."

Kakashi waited for her to respond but she didn't look like she was going to do that anytime soon. Her black obsidian eyes bored into his, as if she was looking into his very soul. Kakashi guessed that was probably not too far from the truth.

He glanced to the side to see if he could get help from his father but the White fang wasn't there anymore. The sound of a yawn from behind indicated that the man was lounging on one of the logs by the fire. The bastard. His own father had left him in the hands of what looked to be a very scary woman. Kakashi didn't like being left in the hands of scary women. No he did not.

Finally she broke the awkward silence. "I see." She proceeded to walk around him. "You would help your friends no matter what?"

"Sure, no matter what."

"And if one of them dies, perhaps the one closest to you?"

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "Try to move on and not let their deaths be in vain."

"You say that yet, you're unsure of whether you're capable of it."

"I am capable of it."

"Don't insult me with your lies."

"I am not lying."

"Admit it; you can't handle the loss of another precious person."

"I won't because it's not true!"

"Three people gone and you almost lost it."

"That's a lie!"

"The fourth left you and you became a shadow of your former self."

"Enough!"

Everything seemed to freeze at that. Sakumo raised his head to look at his son curiously. The woman stopped directly behind Kakashi to stare at the back of his head. Kakashi ran a hand over his face. This was not him. He was never angered this easily but the topic of the people precious to him was always a touchy one.

He turned round to face her. "I would prove it to you." He said in his calm voice. "If I had another chance I would prove it to you."

She tipped her head to the side. "Well then, let's see you prove yourself."

A white energy much like the green one that came earlier engulfed him. Needless to say Kakashi was visibly surprised. He inspected himself before looking up. Sakumo was now standing beside the strange woman. The last thing he saw was his father's smile.

The woman and Sakumo stared up at what was becoming a white dot in the sky. "What did you do to him?"

"I sent him to an alternate world."

"Why?"

"He needs to see that people should learn to move on and deal with what they have now than what they had before. You heard what he said but even he knew that he might not be able to survive another loss."

"Do you do this for everyone who's lost in their past?"

"Sometimes, but he was a special case. He was a deciding factor. He still is."

The white dot disappeared and Sakumo turned away. "As long as he's ok."

"Just out of curiosity, what are you going to do now?" she asked as she turned towards him.

Konoha's White Fang smiled at her. "My son forgave me for what I did." He walked away into the forest.

"I think I might be able to see his mother now."

When Kakashi opened his eyes, he felt terribly weak. He looked up and saw dark-grey storm clouds. The drops of rain were hitting his masked face hard. Instinctively he shut his Sharingan eye.

With a grunt he rolled onto his stomach. He put his hands out under him to pick himself up. That was when he got a good look at his hands. The fingerless gloves that had an iron plate with the leaf symbol carved into it were absent. He noticed he did not have rolled up sleeves. Instead there were black cut-off sleeves around the lower parts of his arm with metal arm protectors over them.

'Huh?'

There was a shout of "Hey Izumo! There's someone out there." This was followed by the sound of running feet and Kakashi found himself staring at blue Shinobi boots. He looked up weakly to see the worried face of Hagane Kotetsu. The rain made his hair fall around his face.

"Hey Kotetsu" Kakashi mumbled as he tried to get up.

"Uhm…hey kid. Are you ok? Wait, have we met before? How do you know my name?"

"Kid? What are you talking abou-" Kakashi finally succeeded in pulling himself up to a puddle of water. Even though raindrops kept disturbing the reflection, Kakashi could see it as clearly as day.

He no longer had the face of twenty-something year old Hatake Kakashi. He now had the face of thirteen year old fresh off the Kanabi bridge mission Hatake Kakashi. This revelation coupled with the exhaustion he was experiencing caused him to pass out.

At that moment Izumo landed next to them.

"Who is this guy?"

"No idea. He knew my name though,"

"How?"

"No idea."

"So what's wrong with him?"

"I don't know. He just passed out on me."

Both of them silently stared at Kakashi as it rained heavily around them. Izumo spoke. "You know, I think we should get him to the hospital."

"You think?" Kotetsu replied with sarcasm.

This caused Izumo to pout. "Fine, be mean about it. You still have to carry him since you found him."

"Ass"

**You remember Kakashi's condition when he killed Kakko the Iwagakure nin, now he is exactly like that. Basically it's his body fresh after killing Kakko and receiving the Sharingan. It has everything he had at that moment when he perfected the chidori except for the white light chakra saber and the sheath holding that blade, along with the straps. For anyone wondering, no, he doesn't have his hitai-ate since he didn't have it at that moment either. I hope you get that idea.**

**I'll just say now, the story will have a few major changes.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

The journey back to consciousness was a slow and arduous thing, as if he was clawing his way back to the surface of a sea of tar. His eyelids would flutter before suddenly falling still again. His hand would rise of the bed before falling back like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

The silver-haired boy was fighting against some unknown force for some unknown goal. He only knew his struggles would bring him to where he wanted to be.

A hand appeared, the rest of the arm attached to him clothed in a familiar sleeve with a metal plate sewed on at the wrist and then another sleeve on top of it. Kakashi had no hands to grab the one before him with, yet he somehow held on. He held on to that thought knowing that this was his ticket out of this inky black prison. The hand pulled and Kakashi felt himself become weightless, a complete difference from the tonne he had felt like before.

And then, instead of being pulled, he was being pushed also. Like being flung into the realm of the waking world and he hit it with a start; eyelids flying open and rising of his bed immediately.

Kakashi gasped with the motion and felt the air rush into his lungs.

It felt glorious.

When his head cleared and his vision was no longer a sea of blurred colours, Kakashi found himself in a sitting position staring at the dull white walls of a hospital room. The smell of antiseptic was strong, almost nauseating to his highly trained nose.

And Sakura wondered why he hated hospitals.

It was then that Kakashi noticed his hands, tinier than he remembered them being. He put his hands to his face, feeling the smooth fabric of his mask. Still, he noted the fat that was in the wrong places. He deduced that it must be a dream. A dream of a memory. _This must have been the morning after we returned from the Kanabi Bridge mission._

It was a dream he had dreamt of often, more times than he would have liked. He never liked been reminded of how Obito's death had hit him hard the first few days following the event.

And if he was right, the nurse would step in...now.

Her straw coloured hair stood out first to Kakashi. The nurse in his memories was a dark brunette. Even her face, though undeniably pretty, was completely off the course. However she followed the script well enough though, rushing back out with excitement to spread word of his awakening.

A few moments later would be the Third's arrival and he did not disappoint. That is, until Kakashi's memory caught up with him. Obito's Sharingan like all other Sharingan eyes had the infamous ability to allow the user to memorize everything within the eye's field of view and recall it perfectly. This was how the Uchiha copied jutsu. The eye saw everything...down to the last wrinkle.

This Sarutobi had three too many. Little else had changed about him though, and to be honest, the next visitor should have been his sensei, Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash.

Hard grey eyes instead of warm bright blue greeted him though.

"Dad!"

* * *

**Two nights before...**

A cloud of smoke heralded his arrival, being one of the few ninjas outside of Anbu with the authority to not have to use the door when they wanted to have a chat with the Hokage. There was little light in the room, what with the rain pouring outside and the Third Hokage preferring to leave the lights off, bathing the room in shadows.

A Hokage and leader he may be, but he was still a ninja at his core, and a ninja dwelled safest in shadows where his secrets were his and his alone.

Hatake Sakumo remained silent. His leader would speak when he was good and ready. Sakumo also felt that this conversation would not please him in the least.

And since the Hokage was taking his time, Sakumo figured he should get comfortable, so he reclined on the expensive velvet sofa at the side of the room, all the while ignoring the eyes that followed his every move. Sakumo had aged well, but he could almost hear his bones groan in relief. _ Why didn't I take this job again?_

Sarutobi Hiruzen cleared his throat. "Sakumo, an...interesting development has come up."

"Spit it out, Hiruzen. I don't like it when people beat around the bush." Sakumo cut in impatiently. "Whatever had you summon me here at three o'clock in the morning has to be important. You're lucky I don't sleep as well as I used to."

His long time comrade's expression was the very definition of uncertainty, so whatever it was had to deal with him on a personal level. _What ghosts of my past have you dragged up this time, Sarutobi?_

"Very well," the Third began. He picked up a file from his desk and flipped it open to the first page with dextrous fingers. "A child was found outside the village gates at around 2000 hours the day before yesterday."

Sakumo was silent as the grave, waiting for the old man to continue.

"Assumed age is thirteen years old. He had on his person ninja gear, damaged but of good quality, indicating he had encountered conflict with unknown forces. Interestingly enough, this gear was made in Konoha; his kunai, shuriken, ninja wire."

" The boy's chakra reserve was high chunin level. Obviously he has undergone very rigorous training, with high chakra output jutsu if the widened tenketsu are any indication. His right hand is a major point of chakra concentration."

"Sarutobi, I have yet to hear how this has anything to do with me."

The Third coughed slightly, while weighing his options in his mind.

"The boy had a Sharingan implanted in his left eye socket."

Sakumo shifted in his seat, "The Uchiha are all dead, killed by _your _student, by _your_ order."

If the intensity of the glare aimed at Sakumo could be likened to the intensity of the sun, Sakumo's skin would have melted right off his bones. He knew the subject of Sarutobi's student was usually off-limits but he, the White Fang, even with his lifetime of experience could not understand. A mission was carried out and it succeeded...even if partially.

Simple as that.

In life, regrets would only weigh you down.

After a tense silence, Sarutobi answered him. "On that night, even though we tried to kill two birds with one stone, we underestimated one bird and it proved to be more troublesome than we could have ever imagined. Almost all of the chunin level ninja in that clan were cremated without their eyes and my student, the bird and all the Sharingan disappeared without a trace. This boy could finally be our lead."

"Or a trap." Sakumo could not help but add.

Sarutobi looked away, "The circumstances of his appearance are troubling, I'll admit. However, I'm not about to give up this chance to find out what truly happened that night."

Sakumo stretched. If he wasn't careful he might just doze off in this chair. "Did you call me here for this alone, Sarutobi? You wanted advice on whether you could mend a broken, crushed and destroyed bridge?"

Sarutobi flicked a picture at his face which Sakumo caught deftly. He gazed at it for a moment. His wide gray eyes did nothing to hide the state of shock he had been thrust in.

"This is the boy. While there are a few differences, you have to admit the resemblance is almost uncanny. He reminds me of a thirteen year old boy called Hatake Sakumo I used to know."

The White Fang growled, "Impossible!"

"I was called in to see him after they discovered the Sharingan. After I saw his face, I was sure of it but in case I was wrong I didn't want to alarm you, so I had them conduct tests immediately. They say the chakra of a son will closely resemble that of your parents. Those tests came back positive. Elements of his chakra are extremely similar to yours. He can call upon White Chakra."

The hand holding the picture a sleeping boy whose face was bare shook like a leaf on a twig in a hurricane.

"If that was not proof enough, the initial results of the paternity tests just came. They're not complete, but the likelihood that this boy is your son..." He let that last statement hang in the air. Sarutobi couldn't remember the last time the blood rushed to Sakumo's face like that, making him look like a tomato with strange silver leaves.

"Sakumo, is there something you have not, or are not telling me?"

Suddenly, all the emotion was gone replaced by an expression carved out of concrete. "Take me to see him."

Shunshin no jutsu had the two ninja outside the hospital doors less than five seconds later. They walked in briskly, parting the swarm of doctors and nurses and ninja like Moses and the Red Sea. The looks received by each were things both had had a lot of time to be used to. Sarutobi 's looks of respect and admiration, Sakumo with his looks of respect and fear.

Their path took them into the bowels of the hospital building, where the labs were located and also were ninja whose injuries or diseases were required to remain hidden from the rest of the Konoha populace. These ninja were usually of the Anbu or in rare cases...the criminal kind.

Enemies of the state.

The thought hit Sakumo with the force of a wrecking ball.

Somehow, someone related to him by blood had been found outside the gates and already he was considered a criminal. This was a little bit too much to take in.

They arrived at a door that stood in their way. The Third raised his hand and placed it against the metal surface. An intricate and complicated mess of characters appeared under his hand, inky black in colour. Sarutobi pushed chakra through his fingers, the spike barely sensible to Sakumo. Only his experience allowed him to feel that.

When he pushed the door open, Sarutobi walked three steps before realizing that Sakumo hadn't taken one. He turned to his old friend, already studying him thoroughly.

And in that moment, the Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind was completely blown away.

And in the next moment, it was gone and he wondered if he had even seen anything at all. _No, this really happened._

His trusted advisor walked past him, even more stone-faced than usual. "Well, are you coming?" he snapped irritably and Sarutobi followed, his mind already dwelling on the implications of what he had just seen.

The Anbu guard standing outside the door stepped to the side and bowed dutifully to the two legendary ninja. Sarutobi acknowledged him with a nod while Sakumo practically barged his way inside the hospital room, only to freeze when he saw his 'son'. His eyes betrayed the emotions churning in his gut but fortunately Sarutobi was behind him and the boy was asleep leaving no one to bear witness.

A mask covered the lower half of the boy's face. He pulled it down quickly, part of him hoping this was just some cruel prank concocted by Sarutobi. Fate however had seen fit to open up a new can of worms and his fears were confirmed. This was him, many many years ago. That was his nose, those were his cheeks, those were his eyebrows, that was his forehead; he did not need the Sharingan to confirm this.

He pulled up the eyelid of his left eye and behold, a red iris with two tomoe in a circle stared back up at him.

"Well?" Sarutobi asked. The Third's eyes watched from under the shadow the Hokage's hat availed to him.

Sakumo's voice was like ice. "I've come back from many of my missions grievously injured and I've spent more than a fair share of nights in this hospital. I'll admit it's quite possible some...monster took my DNA to create this-"

"-boy," Sarutobi cut in, "He is a human and I intend for him to be seen that way, regardless of whether he is a potential enemy." Sakumo ignored him gazing at the face of the child as if all the answers were written there. "Sakumo, you know I would understand. We all have a side of us that we rarely show to the world, like me and my Icha Icha collection. If mid-mission flings or your travels around the nations gave birth to this, it's alright."

The reply was prompt and cold, "I care not for your perverted stories and I have not indulged in any acts of perversion. I do not have the time for such frivolous acts."

Sarutobi sighed at having his humour dismissed so abruptly. With each passing day it became harder and harder to get through to this man.

"There was nothing on his person to indicate where he may have been before coming here?" Sakumo inquired.

"The rain did a good job of washing away any evidence, but our teams did manage to get something. In his hair, we found soil and rock particles, the kind which can particularly be found in the Land of Stone."

"Are you saying Iwa did this? My spies have reported nothing out of the ordinary in Iwa's ninja movements. Even then, could if it was Iwa, I think the Sharingan eyes would have turned up a lot sooner."

"I'm saying it could be Iwa, or it could be someone looking to frame Iwa. I met with Ohnoki last month and I can at least say that age has dulled his anger and thirst for war some." Sarutobi brought a hand to his chin. "Do you know of any relatives out there, scattered in the nations?"

The White Fang shook his head. "I am the last Hatake," he paused before adding, "...at least the last true blooded Hatake." Sakumo held the boy's hand up with his own and then lightly pressed the fingertips of his other hand against the boy's fingertips. The legendary ninja shut his eyes and breathed in once.

His eyes flew open then, a bright angelic white light replacing his usual dull grey eyes. The spectacle was dazzling, even for Sarutobi who had born witness to it for a few years. The dimly lit room gained extra intensity in brightness and Sarutobi had to avert his eyes a little. He focused them on Sakumo's fingertips, which the White Fang had begun to lightly pull away from his 'son's'. Five white strands of featherly white light connected the appendages, clearly not in solid, liquid or gaseous state but rather appearing like a strange mixture of all three.

"White chakra," Sarutobi breathed in amazement.

Sakumo cut the flow of chakra at once. The room darkened once more and his eyes dimmed to their usual grey. He held the boy's hand for a second more than necessary before letting go. Remarkably, the now confirmed Hatake had not even twitched from having his chakra tampered with like that.

Sarutobi was quick to begin his analysis, "You...you pushed your white chakra into his body to see how it would respond, thus somehow activating the white chakra in his body. His was drawn to yours like a magnet." Let no man say the Third Hokage did not earn the monicker that was 'The Professor'. "Did you know this would happen? As far as I know, you have never encountered any other Hatake and you yourself only unlocked this power a few years back."

Sakumo's body language practically screamed discomfort, even in the way he rubbed his hand which was going through a serious case of pins and needles. "I took a stab in the dark. You know how chakra is strongly cohesive and weakly adhesive. A similar kind will attract it while if the chakra was unfamiliar, they would have repelled. All the same, the results are clear. He is a Hatake...like me."

Sarutobi did not miss the way he said that last part.

"His vitals have steadily been improving since he was brought here unconscious. Doctors said he would probably wake within another day but your little trick has obviously given him a little boost, so perhaps it will be in a few hours." Indeed, Sakumo had noticed how the heart monitor's beeping had sped up a little.

Sarutobi continued, "I'll move him upstairs to a more comfortable room, so that when he wakes up, the information from him might flow a little easier."

"Seal his chakra."

Sarutobi did a double-take. "What?"

"AS of yet he is still an unknown. We don't know what he is capable of and I will not let you underestimate him because he is a child."

The Third was unsure. "We were going to initially but his vitals were still to low that any disturbance in the flow of his chakra could have killed him. The doctors advised against it."

"Obviously, right now he's not going to die immediately, so it's not that much of a risk."

His leader nodded slowly. "Very well. In the meantime, you should go get some rest. When he wakes up, you'll be informed immediately." Sakumo nodded and left without a word leaving the leader all alone with the mysterious youth who had appeared right on his village's doorstep as if out of thin air.

"Now Hatake, what path shall you lead us down, eh?"

* * *

**The present...**

"What did you call me?!"

Kakashi tilted his head, confusion etched on the few features he deemed worthy to show. "Dad, unless in this dream you...aren't my dad? I am your son right?"

"Dream?" the Third Hokage spoke, "this is no dream, young one."

Kakashi's right eye, the left being shut almost by reflex, shifted between the two nervously. "Not...a...dream?" Instinctively Kakashi's mind tried to recall his most recent memories.

"Child, I do not know what you're trying to say, but I am not your father."

In that instant, Kakashi remembered everything.

**Story definitely not abandoned.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Cleared up a few mistakes in the previous chapter, like a contradiction I made with the hitai-ate. Onto the next one.**

_"Is God willing to prevent evil but not able?_

_Then he is not Omnipotent_

_Is he able but not willing?_

_Then he is malevolent._

_Is he able and willing?_

_Then from whence cometh evil?_

_Is he neither able nor willing?_

_Then why call him god?"_

**Chapter three**

"Boy, where did you get the idea that he was your father?"

Facing off against Pain, holding the rod an inch from Iruka's face, the crude but deadly weapon strangely warm to the touch.

His breath was released in quick short gasps, not even daring to grin as he watched Pain jump away. He had survived, but only barely.

"Child, I believe he asked you a question. We expect you to answer it?"

Watching the missile catch up to Chouji, as if the bulky ninja was running in slow motion. Then again, he had the Sharingan, so to him time also seemed to have slowed down, or maybe it was the state of mind his realization had put him in. The realization that to save Chouji and help the Leaf's efforts in defending their home, he would have to sacrifice his last bit of chakra, thus effectively ending his life.

He had not even hesitated in the slightest.

His life was inconsequential to the hundreds that he could save, perhaps millions if the leader of Akatsuki was allowed to leave this place alive.

"I am running out of patience. Do not make the mistake of thinking we will not call a Yamanaka here to tear your mind apart in our search for answers, just because you are a child."

His dad had been just as he had remembered him, at least before his failed mission. Half serious, half laid back, warm towards those he had loved.

The lady who had sent him here. An enigma. Who was she? Why had she done this to him? What was her role in this strange turn of events?

...How was she in the room without either of the elder ninja showing any sign of noticing her?

Kakashi blinked. He opened his mouth but her gaze, playful in appearance yet commanding in its nature, froze his voice in his throat. The finger she held up perpendicular to perfect lips in a shushing gesture made him swallow his words.

Instead, he turned to the ninja in the room.

"Well?" Sakumo ordered expectantly.

She finally spoke. "Act ignorant. Pretend he is the father you just left."

Kakashi hesitated before speaking. "You're my father." The situation had left Kakashi so bewildered, his mind was stretched thin in its search for a suitable way out of this mess, however impossible it may have seemed. He did not know when he had made the decision that this lady was his best bet.

Her rich noble voice floated into his ears, completely ignored by the room's other two occupants. "Tell him you were guided through your youth by his hand."

Kakashi repeated, "You raised me."

"How he trained you in your Shinobi arts."

"You trained me."

"Where you lived..."

"We lived in the Hatake estate. Just the two of us."

Sakumo and Hiruzen stared at the boy for a few seconds.

The boy was not lying.

Both men knew how to spot a lie. The ninja economy was practically fuelled by information. That information had to be sifted through very carefully as if separating the wheat from the chaff. An entire clan had techniques devoted to this. The two had lived long enough to be called experts in this practice.

No, the boy was not lying.

"Hiruzen...summon Inoichi."

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, Hatake-sama. I'm not sure why...I definitely don't understand it, but what the boy says matches with what I have seen in his mind."

Definitely not the words Inoichi's superiors had wanted to hear. Even so, this event was enough of an enigma that he was not worried that much about disappointing them.

"Are you implying that someone put those memories into his head? I can assure you that I have never seen this kid before in my life."

Inoichi replied, the theories on how this was possible almost distracting him, "It is theoretically possible. You know of techniques where in case a ninja is about to be captured, the information that is too valuable to be known by the wrong people is purged from the mind in varying ways before interrogation."

They both knew. They had these kind of fail-safes with them as they spoke, ready to be triggered at a moment's notice.

"To add a new memory into the subject's mind is much more difficult, yet again, doable. To write out a person's life however, even if it's a few years, that is a feat capable of someone with god-like abilities. Regardless of whether this was the work of enemies, I must admit I am impressed." Inoichi said, sounding less like an interrogator and more like a scholar.

Kakashi who was a bit light-headed from his session with Inoichi, nevertheless caught the slight smirk of the woman whose presence had yet to disappear.

"You said a few years? Anything more than a decade feels like a really long time to me," Sakumo observed.

"There is a gap," Inoichi continued uncertainly, "what looks like a five year gap, I believe from when he was eight years old."

_Dad's mission_, Kakashi thought in pure alarm.

"From that point it's just blank and I don't believe these are memories that are somehow hidden from me. They're just not there."

Sarutobi turned his gaze onto the boy. So someone had somehow got his hands on a boy who shared enough traits with Sakumo to be considered his son, stuck fake memories in him, given him a Sharingan recently, if the fresh scar across his eye was any indication and then dropped him right outside their doorstep.

He wished he could just blink and see all the answers before him.

Unfortunately, the cause of these events was a higher power in the same room with him, who was not keen on revealing her presence to him. Sarutobi would have to suffer for a while longer.

The old man sighed and decided to ask the simpler questions, "Inoichi, can you in any way tell if the boy is a threat to the village?"

The man turned to his Hokage, a stern expression on his face, "Not immediately Lord Hokage. Our only reason to be afraid is that he is still an unknown."

Sakumo grunted uncomfortably, clearly not pleased with the turn of events.

"You may leave Inoichi," Sarutobi allowed. "Remember what you learned here is strictly confidential, S-class."

Inoichi nodded. He bowed to both men, "Hokage-sama, Hatake-sama, by your leave." He shut the door gently on his way out.

The lady spoke up, this time from Kakashi's side where she sat next to him, clearly enjoying how her close proximity made the man-turned-boy fidget like the pre-pubescent boy he had become. She whispered in his ear, "I've done all I can, the rest is up to you now. Try to do a better job this time. I have such high hopes for you."

Kakashi was wondering how the two ninja didn't notice the slight depression on the bed where she sat. No, he was doing his best to focus on that.

There was a shift in the air, and she and all traces of her presence disappeared. Kakashi sucked in his breath slightly. Really, who or what the hell was she?

"Now," Kakashi turned to the elderly ninja and was not at all amused by the menacing and oppressive aura Sakumo was giving off, "What will we do with you?"

**...**

**Kakashi's POV**

When I woke up next, it was with a sudden gasp, a swift motion where I tried to suck in fresh air that eluded me.

It was an epic fail, as the strong overpowering stench of blood that had flooded my nostrils only seconds earlier was now in my mouth.

I could "taste" the smell on my tongue, so to speak, and it was _revolting_.

The urge to throw up was immediate, but I pushed it down with almost laughable ease. Years of experience both as an Anbu operative and a jounin, most definitely as an Anbu captain can give you such an ability or rather a resistance, even when you're flung into the past and into a thirteen year old body.

Ninja instincts coming to the fore demand I immediately investigate the source of the side stench. Grogginess from just waking up is all but gone, so my mind is not slow in picking up details.

First and foremost, I'm not in the hospital. I'm relatively sure that that was where I was last awake. I even remember lady Tsunade pushing the needle in me that made me black out, though plainly that is not important at the moment.

Mainly because I've identified the source of the stench and its a corpse, seated in those businessmen-type chairs on the other side of an obviously expensive desk.

A corpse that was once the body of one of the most ruthless businessmen in the Elemental Nations.

Gatou.

His glasses are askew, so for the first time I see his eyes; two black pits. His expression is one of horror and rage all mashed up in one face. I realize that Zabuza beheading him in my timeline was a much kinder fate, however undeserving he was of it.

Being stabbed through the middle of your chest is a painful way to die, especially when the hole is big enough to peer through. I wonder who could have done that...

"Stay calm."

Immediately, my left eye, which I always close instinctively to lessen the drain of chakra, snaps open searching for the owner of the gravelly voice. It reminds me of wet rocks sliding against each other and I swear I've heard this voice before.

The Sharingan is a special eye for a reason and the room lit by dim moonlight lights up like day for me. Any chakra in the room would take on a distinct colour therefore revealing anyone in hiding.

However, there's no one. Just me, dead Gatou, whose chakra is already almost completely dissipated and a disembodied voice.

"You have a mission to complete." my invisible observer states.

Waking up in unknown places with dead bodies is not my idea of "the right side of the bed" so I'm more than a little snappy.

"What if I don't want to do this mission?"

"You die," the voice replies and I keep quiet. The way he says it, not with arrogance or cockiness. It's the truth, plain and simple.

The voice scratches at the back of my mind, but no answers as to my overseer's identity surface.

"You'll need this though," and a figure melts from the walls. Standard Anbu uniform, with the concealing coat with a hood put on. The mask is supposed to resemble a ferret or some other kind of bird.

The most surprising fact of all: I am taller than this Anbu operative.

The shock is evident on my face and in my stiff posture as the ninja tosses the ninja pouch at my face rather than handing it to me. I barely catch it.

"You are to clear out this facility. It's an old paper factory that went out of order but is now a stronghold for Gatou's more criminal activities." He glances at the corpse, "at least while he was alive."

"That means this facility is full of hostiles. Rogue samurai, nuke-nin, none of them must leave this place alive to carry out other misdeeds. You will exterminate them."

I know Gatou. The man usually has close to a hundred mercenaries with him wherever he goes. They expect me kill them all? Alone?

At least they helped outfit me for it. I'm back in my old 'just made jounin' gear, with standard Anbu vest armour and a sword strapped to my back. The kunai pouch strapped to my thigh feels heavy - a good sign. The only thing missing is still my hitai-ate.

I study the nin's chakra. A vibrant blue and definitely above average for someone perhaps younger than thirteen, that is, if this ninja is not just a midget.

The hairs on the back of my neck tingle and I glance sharply at the door. Someone's coming.

I am already moving but the nin puts his hand on my shoulder, putting a halt to that.

"Remember, failure to complete this mission results in your death. Any actions performed contrary to completion of the mission, like trying to escape to wherever you came from, results in your death, again."

The doorknob is turning now. I glare at my observer. He's not really helping by holding me here. His grip is actually quite strong. I try to rip my shoulder from his grasp, but suddenly my face hits the floor hard with a resounding smack.

It takes a while to realize I've just been shoved to the ground, but by that time its too late. And my observer has already fled the scene.

Two rogue samurai have entered the room, thugs in every shape and form. Big and bald, both have a long katana that hangs from their hip. I'm not the type of guy who wants to know if they can use them.

Before I can react, they see the dead body of their boss.

"Shit Kawada! Some fucker killed him!"

"Son of a bitch...must'a been one o' them ninja types. Sneaked righ' past all o' us."

I'm still on the floor face down. I don't dare move. Hopefully they'll think I'm dead too.

" And what's this? A kid lying on the floor?"

"Nah Fukuda. He dressed up like 'em ninja. You know how they train 'em young." A slight pause. "I dunno why he just lying on the floor like that but whatchu wanna bet he knows what happened here?"

My ears catch the distinct sound of someone spitting on the floor. The rogues have taken steps around me to inspect their boss.

"Fuck it. I didn't like the bastard but I liked that he let us fuck shit up and get paid for it. This kid's gonna pay for messing with my job security."

And with that, I can hear the footsteps that signify one rogue's approach. With a rough grizzled hand, he turns me over and my hand flashes.

The rogue recoils screaming. His hands reach up to his face to rip out the kunai I stuck in his eye and as a result of his messy self treatment blood pours out of the hole. He screams even louder.

I'm already back on my feet, sword drawn and plunged into the stomach of the rogue. I rip it out, making a mess of his intestines.

Its too messy to be called professional and the warm blood that splashes onto my face is disgusting, but I'm trying to destroy all resistance quickly before they brings the rest of the mercs down on my head.

It does not work.

The alarm blaring horrid grating sounds absolutely destroys the possibility.

The other samurai glares at me from across the room, eyes filled with hate, his hand holding onto the lever he just pulled down.

His friend finally stops moving.

With a battle cry he charges at me like a rampaging bull.

Thinking quickly, I draw his friend's sword from its sheath and use both swords to block the overhead strike.

Unsurprising the rogue is angered that I'd use Fukuda...or maybe Kawada's sword against him.

"You little shit! You killed Fukuda!"

Ah, so it was Fukuda.

"I'll fucking kill you!"

With strength that can only come from being that big he pushes me away and I roll across the floor, get back on my feet while jumping off the floor in the same motion. Before I land I toss Fukuda's sword at Kawada.

My aim is terrible, but close enough that Kawada who is also too excited dodges and looks away from me to watch the blade fly by.

When he turns back, all he sees is an empty space where I once stood.

He's dead five seconds later, when I pull the kunai from the back of his head.

I'm going to definitely need some work. Even at thirteen I could have done it in two.

Sticking me in a mission at the drop of a hat where it's either do or die? I hope my 'father' doesn't think he can get rid of me that easily.

**Read and review people.**

**I've placed the mission that indirectly killed Kakashi's dad at a time when he was around eight years old, since I could not find any specific date. If there is something official or if you think there is a contradiction with the eight year old part then please feel free to let me know.**

**The latter half of this terribly short chapter (I blame my laptop. Just turning it on is a process) is written in Kakashi's point of view so that you, anyone who reads this story has an idea of how my Kakashi thinks, however small the idea you'll get is. **

**Hope you enjoy it and a Happy New Year to all.**


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